Long Story

Canadian Mohamed Fahmy, Australian Peter Greste and Egyptian Baher Mohamed have all been slapped with three-year jail sentences for charges internationally condemned as a blatant attack against free speech.

According to Al Jazeera, the main charge is for aiding a “terrorist organization,” which refers to the Muslim Brotherhood — a group who got one of its leaders democratically elected in 2012 following Egypt’s Arab Spring. The other charges are for not registering with the country’s journalist “syndicate,” for bringing in equipment without telling security officials and for broadcasting “false news.” Furthermore, Mohamed will spend an additional six months for possession of a spent bullet casing.

Shocked. Outraged. Angry. Upset. None of them convey how I feel right now. 3 yr sentences for @bahrooz, @MFFahmy11 and me is so wrong.

The journalists’ employer has criticized the ruling as absolute baloney. "Today's verdict defies logic and common sense,” said Dr. Mostefa Souag, Al Jazeera’s Acting Director General. "There is no evidence proving that our colleagues in any way fabricated news or aided and abetted terrorist organizations, and at no point during the long drawn out retrial did any of the unfounded allegations stand up to scrutiny.”

Initially in June 2014, Fahmy and Greste were charged with 7-year sentences while Mohamed got 10, so the retrial is a slight reduction in the sentencing, but you won’t see anyone rejoicing.

“I’m too shocked. My only hope is on deportation, because this is a joke of a trial. No process, nothing logical at all. Everything was pointing towards exoneration today,” said Fahmy’s brother Adel, as quoted in The Guardian.

The only hope for Fahmy is deportation back to Canada — something his lawyer and the Canadian government is trying to push for. Greste has already been deported as of February when he was sentenced in abstentia. As for Mohamed, as an Egyptian there doesn’t appear to be much he can do, but demand another trial.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question: Why doesn't the Canadian government take harsher action against Egypt for not deporting Fahmy. You know, Claire Underwood in House of Cards-style.

Disrupt Your Feed: You could be deaf, dumb, blind and know nothing about politics and still see that this verdict is BS.